Combination bed and sofa.



PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1908.

L. ALBERT. COMBINATION BED AND SOFA.

APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 9, 1907.

L i .......L

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

LOUIS ALBERT, OE NEW YORK, N. Y., AssieNoR or ONE-HALE To HARRY s. WYNKOOP, OE

NEW YORK, N. Y.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 8, 1908.

Application led. October 9, 1907. Serial No. 396,561.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs ALBERT, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and .useful Improvements in a Combination Bed am trying to provide an acceptable construction which can readily be used as a sofa or settee and also as a bed, and in either capacity will serve equally well, thetransformation from the one to the other whenever desired being effected by a simple manipulation of the parts, which is done with great facility and rapidity and Without requiring any skill in the adjustment.

The invention, therefore, consists essentiallyvin the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, substantially as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved combination sofa and bed, when occupying the sofa position. Fig. 2 is a erspective view when the parts' are unfo ded to serve as a bedor couch. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail view of one of the hinges at the corner. Fig. 4 is a sectional view, to show the stop for limiting the movement of the arms when the article is being converted from a sofa into a bed.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding arts throughout the different y figures of the rawing.

A designates the main frame which is of a general rectangular shape and designed to remain rigidly on the fioor, and to provide the seat of the sofa and one-half ofthe bed when the device serves as a bed. The main frame A is preferably made of some light,

strong material, such as metal tubing, and the seat portion thereof consists -preferably of woven wire netting or mattress, as 1, which is stretched upon the frame and which serves to receive and carry any upholstery which maybe provided. The main frame A, as it is not intended to-be changed or converted but remains substantiallythe same, whether the article is serving as a bed or as a sofa, may be looked upon as a permanent portion of the article; whereas the other part, which is hinged thereto and is movable and adjustable, differs from the frame A in the respect of being causedto change its position to serve its differentfunctions. This second movable portion of the combined sofaand bed is designated B, and consists'of a woven wire surface 2 carried in a suitable rectangular frame and serving as the back of the sofa, while hinged at both ends of the back are the arm frames C. The back frame B, as well as the arm frames, are commonly composed of stiff and strong metal tubing.

The back frame B normally occupies a vertical position, when the device is acting as a sofa or chair, and is hung pivotally, as indicated in Fig. 3, on one of the horizontal rails 9 of the main frame A. The arm frames C are pivotally connected to the ends of the back frame B, as shown in Fig. 1, the springs 8, coiled around parts of the frame B and connected thereto and to the pivotal portions of the arm frames C, serve to automatically throw the arm frames outwardly and over into their other position, when the device is being transformed from a sofa into a bed, or the springs may be arranged to accomplish the other and reverse purpose. I find it most convenient, however, to attach these springs 8 in such a manner that when the arms are released from their arm position, they will serve to throw said arms around into `the leg position. In Fig. 4, l have indicated a detail view showing pins or stops 10 on the rods 11 of the back which are adapted to be struck by a pin or shoulder 15 on the swiveling sockets 12 of the arm frames C.

3, 3, denote clasps which are carried by the ar'm frames C. These clasps consist of short ieces of metal that are caused to embrace the ower rods of the arm frames C, and then have their parts secured together by rivets or g ses bolts at 5, thereby leaving s ring ends 4f which are curved and designe to embrace and tightly grip the top end rails 6 ofthe main frame A When the device is in a sofa position; and When'l i-t is reversedl into the bed position shown in Fig. 2, the spring ends 4 ofY these clasps 3 Will similarly engage and tightly grip the rear legs 7 of the main frame A, asl also shown in Fig. 2.

As I have already said, When the parts are in the sofa position, the back BV With its Wire netting 2 occupies a vertical -and AuprighmtA position, so that it may receive cushions or upholstery; While the end` arms C are lying` in a horizontal position or are projecting for` Ivvardly alongside of the ends of the main` frame A and are held in this positionby means of the clas sy 3. At this time, the springs 8, with which the arms are provided as already specified, are preferably under tension yand ready to act to automatically.

throW the arms aroundl on'their, ivotal con-v nections With the'back frame W enever thel arms are released. If now it is desired to` convert'the article into a bed, the operatorl -1 will first release the clasps 3 by detaching the spring ends 4 from the rails 6', thus setting free the arm frames C; andas the back frame B is now pushed backward and downward into a horizontal ositionl so `as to form in conjunction with t ie topf'o'f frame 1 asingle bed-frame With a comfortable horizontal surface of considerable size for the reception of a mattress, it Will result that the arms C at the same time under the assistance of a manipu i lation, and under the actuating power of the springs 8, Will'be rotated upon their pivotal connections With the'b'ack frame, and brought around into a verticalp'osition beneath the novv horizontal back frame, as shown inFig'.'

M2, Where said arm framesl C` act as legs for supporting the frame B so thaty it may serve in conjunction withthe frame A as a bed. The pins' and shoulders,- already mentioned, at 1() and 15', assist in stopping the movement f ofthe arms C'under the im ulse ofthe springs',l

8 at the properp'oint.l lien'the arms C are properly situated to serve as legs, the clasps 8 can be reversedin position, and thespring ends 4 caused to engage the rearlegs7` of the,

main frame A. The partsrnay be restored to the position that they occupy when the article is employed as a sofa'vvith-they samefacility that they are'changed for the pur ose of converting the article vinto a bed, an 'it'vvill be found in practical experience that ,the sim-l ple and convenien't'relation of the'parts to'l each other Will contribute very much yto the efliciency of the article as a'useful'piece ofy furniture.

In' speaking of the article asserving at one time as a sofa', I, of course, include-the ideav of its being so built that it might be called al settee or a chair, or otherwise designated'as an article of furniture on whichl a'person can ,ses

`changes in the precise construction and 1n the details and relative position of the' different parts may be made Without .exceeding the legitimate scope of the invention.

The arm frames C being shown as curved, it is found desirable in practice to provide v the curved portionsjvvith projections c which may be of su'l'licient size and proper shape to enable them to serve as feet, and hence to allow the arms, when reversedinto the leg position, tol rest firmly on the ioor at tvvo points', thus affording a iirm and rigid support for the reversed'half of the bed. These projecting feet e may vary Widely in their form and size,i and may be mere ornamental knobs if preferred, and of course thearms themselves may at times` be so shaped as to dispense'with the necessity ofthel knobs c, butin the preferred form of the invention they are employed.

Having thus described my invention, What l claim asjnevv and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, isz- 1.. In asofa andbed, the combination of a permanent stationary frame serving as a seat fory the sofaand asa part of the bed, a second frame hinged to the'first and reversif -ble so Yas to serve at one time as a back for the sofa and at another time when reversed as a part ofthe bed, lforming in the latter positionv a horizontal surface inthesame plane with theseat, arm frames hinged at each end of thereversibleframe `and beingmovable on` said endsjso that they may occupy arm po-Y sitions'linI conjunction Withthe seat at oneY 2." In a'sofaland bed, the combination of a permanent stationary frame serving as a seat for thefs'ofa and asia part of the bed, a second frame vhinged toA the first and reversible so as,v to serve at one time as a back for the sofa and,

`at another time ,when reversed asa part of `the bed, forming in the latter position a hori- `zontalv surface in the same plane with the seat, arm frames hinged at each end of the reversiblejframe, and being movable on lsaid ends 4so that they may occupy arm ypositions in conjunction with the seat at onetime andl may be'l reversed at another timev so as to lie underneath ltherreversed kframe and serve as legsfor the bed, and clasps for connecting said arm frames at onetime to the stationary',

frame at lone point When said arm frames are in the arm position and connecting theml when they are in the leg position to another Signed at New York city, this 4th day of point of the mainframe, together With spring October, 1907.

i pose of automatically assisting in the unfolding or folding operation, all substantially as described. A,

LOUIS ALBERT.

Witnesses:

RICHARD CONDON, C. B. SCHROEDER. 

